


no ordinary cat

by ace_corvid



Series: Halloween Countdown Ficfest 2020 [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Green Lantern (Comics), Green Lantern - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Wayne is So Done, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Cats, Domestic Boyfriends, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hal Jordan is a Bit of a Mess, Hal adopts Dex-Starr, M/M, Prompt Fic, TDC Unlucky Thirteen 2020, and then Dex-Starr adopts Tim, no beta we die like robins, thats it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27123745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ace_corvid/pseuds/ace_corvid
Summary: “So you remember when I was telling you about the Red Lantern Corps?” Hal gave off the air that he would be making relaxing gestures if there were not holding a cat. As it was he just kept his voice soothing.“What could that possibly have to do with-” Bruce froze. “Repeat that cats name again for me.”He very clearly wasn't asking. Hal sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, as the cat protested the movement with a disgruntled meow.“His name is Dexter.” Hal coughed. Bruce raised an eyebrow.
Relationships: Dex-Starr & Tim Drake, Hal Jordan & Dex-Starr, Hal Jordan/Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Hal Jordan
Series: Halloween Countdown Ficfest 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1978783
Comments: 43
Kudos: 526
Collections: TDC's Unlucky Thirteen





	no ordinary cat

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Caturday](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23367334) by [Calamityjim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calamityjim/pseuds/Calamityjim). 



> Prompt: **Cats** / Blood
> 
> hey! it's time for day 2 of the trans DC discord server's Unlucky Thirteen Countdown to Halloween. Today's prompt was cats so take some admittedly not very spooky fluff. If you're trans and love DC and would like to join the server (and perhaps the fun) feel free to shoot a message, you're welcome to join!  
> The idea of batlantern adopting Dex-Starr was brought up by my very good friend Uncle Joe (<3), but the idea of Tim and Dex-Starr being wholesome good friends comes from Calamity Jim, I believe, so please go read their fic it's so good!
> 
> title: "there are no ordinary cats." quoted from Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette.

“You're not allowed to be mad.” Hal began, cradling a cat in his arms. Because of course he was. Why wouldn't his boyfriend have come back from a deep space mission with a cat of all things?

“When you start sentences like that, Hal, I feel like you're about to tell me something I should be mad at.” Bruce said wearily, staring at the Russian Blue, which stared back at him with intelligence that boarded on worrying.

Hal paused for a moment at that.

“So this is Dexter-” He continued, because the man's never met a situation he didn't feel the need to power through with sheer bullheadedness.

“And why,” Bruce sighed. “is Dexter here?”

“He needs a home.”

“So take him to a _shelter_.”

Hal grimaced. “You're just gonna have to trust me when I tell you that that's a bad idea.”

“Where did you even find it, Hal? You _just_ got home from a mission.” Bruce pushed back his hair, a typical sign that he was exasperated. Hal just tried not to wince too hard.

“See, to tell you that, you have to promise not to be mad.” Hal tried to sound jovial, but it was noticeably strained.

“I thought you were asking me not to be mad because you had the cat.”

“Realistically, this entire situation is me asking you not to be mad at a lot of things.” Even through his nerves, Hal's brown eyes sparkled with mischief. Bruce was so tired.

“Ok. Ok. I won't be mad.” He said, clearly intending to get mad.

“That sounds a little bit like a lie-” Hal tried not to smile, while the cat in his arms began kneading into his jacket.

“ _Hal_ -” Bruce was about ready to snap.

“Alright, alright.” Hal gave off the air that he would be making relaxing gestures if there were not holding a cat. As it was he just kept his voice soothing. “So you remember when I was telling you about the Red Lantern Corps?”

“What could that possibly have to do with-” Bruce froze. “Repeat that cats name again for me.”

He very clearly wasn't asking. Hal sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, as the cat protested the movement with a disgruntled meow.

“His name is Dexter.” Hal coughed. Bruce raised an eyebrow.

“Dexter, like, _Dex-Starr_?” Bruce was tense as he continued to stare down the cat, who now seemed to be quite amused with the situation. It probably did not help Hal's situation that Bruce was getting laughed at by a cat.

“It might be.” Hal pursed his lips and avoided Bruce's eyes, because experience told that he would not come out of a stare down with the Batman _well._

“Hal, you have done some stupid things over the years, but bringing a murderous Red Lantern into my house where my _children_ live has to be the dumbest.”

“See, that would be incredibly stupid, yes, and I'd never do that.” Hal's voice was tight and he held said killer cat closer to his chest. “And I still haven't. _Dexter_ isn't a Red Lantern any more. He's a normal cat again, if not a little bit smarter.”

'A little bit' may be under-selling it, Bruce thought, as the cat continued to glare at him.

“He's still a mass murderer.” Bruce intoned, voice so low it was beginning to near the Batman growl. Hal _hated_ the Batman growl when Bruce was mad at him.

“Yes, well, you could argue a lot of that was the ring. Cats have grumpy days; it happens.”

“ _Grumpy Day? Wha_ -” Bruce visibly took a deep breath and calmed himself down, which didn't really bode well. “Hal. Please for the love of God, explain.”

“Well, you see, there was some Lantern Bullshit, as per usual.” Hal awkwardly shrugs with the cat still cradled. “We ended up finding out a bit of Dex-Starr's back story and it was- it was really sad. His owner got murdered and, well- I'm a dog person, don't get me wrong, but I couldn't stop thinking about Alfred. The cat, I mean. And how I'd feel if it was him who got kicked out onto the streets. So I, uh.”

“So you offered him a home.” Bruce closed his eyes.

“It's possible I'm picking up some of your habits.” Hal finally laughed, humour warm in his eyes. “At least it's not a child.”

He couldn't argue with that, really, could he? He'd be one hell of a hypocrite. Hal had seen a fellow Lantern in pain and tried to help. Bruce couldn't ask him to go against a nature that Bruce loved fiercely and felt in kind.

“Hal. Darling.” He said. “I'm really not mad about this, but I would have appreciated being asked.”

“I know love, and I'm genuinely sorry.” Hal put the cat down so that he could draw Bruce into his arms instead. Dexter mrrp'd, affronted. “Just- shit went down, me and Dex-Starr got paired off together to sort something. It was so weird working with a cat but god _dammit_ it we _bonded_. He told me about the family he lost, I ended up telling him about you guys and- And I made the offer and he ended up letting a blue lantern take his ring off. How could I possibly put him in a shelter after that?”

“I suppose you couldn't.” Bruce finally leaned into his embrace.

“Besides, Damian will be ecstatic, Cassandra will adore him, and I think it would be good for Tim to have a pet around that's not fully Damian's. You know how he gets- something warm, fluffy and cuddly can only help.” Hal pressed a kiss to his lover's forehead.

“Ah yes, _another_ murderous psychopath after his attention, just what he needs.” Bruce snarked, but then conceded. “It probably will do Tim some good.”

Tim chose that moment to pop his head around the door. Hal jumped, but didn't take his arms from around Bruce. Tim chuckled at their faces, easily smirking, before walking fully into the kitchen.

“Speaking of the devil.” Tim joked. “I heard you talking about me. What'll do me some good?”

Dexter jumped onto the counter beside him, tilting his head. Tim blinked in surprise, before repeating the near exact same head tilt, staring at the cat. Hal tried not to grin as Tim tried to process what he was seeing.

“You got Damian another cat?” He asked, voice a little small, finally looking back over to them, leaning on the counter. Dexter lit up next to him, pupils blowing out wilder as his whiskers were tickled by Tim's errant hair.

“No.” Bruce spoke, voice warm talking to his son. “He's kind of Hal's if anything.”

“He was a Red Lantern.” Hal explained. “He's not now. He doesn't belong to anyone if he doesn't want to.”

“He was a Red Lantern?” Tim raised an eyebrow. He looked so much like Bruce when he did that. “Don't they like, kill people?”

“Yeah.” Hal easily agreed, not giving any other context. Bruce rolled his eyes.

“Can I pet him?” Tim seemed to be trying to restrain his excitement. Dexter, displaying a human-like intelligence that Bruce was really going to have to get used to, took the opportunity to push his head against Tim's hand, which he then lifted to pet him, giggling. The boy finally looked his age for once, and Hal felt Bruce physically relax, just watching his son have fun with a cat. Tim wasn't the only one this would be good for, it seemed.

“I think that's a yes.” Hal laughed, and Tim only seemed to match his smile while Dexter purred like a _jet engine_. Bruce couldn't even believe this. That was a Red Lantern that was currently trying to get him son to snuggle him.

_Every_ time he thinks life can't get more weird, it proves him wrong.

“You know, I'm going to do some work in the library. If you need someone to watch him I don't mind taking him.” Tim offered, in a transparent excuse to continue cuddling the cat that had now succeeded in curling up into Tim's arms.

“That'd be great, thanks Tim.” Hal said, like they'd actually needed someone to watch the cat. Tim lit up as Dexter started rubbing the top of his head against Tim's chin, and then yelled his thanks as he hurried about of the room, cat in hand. “You know, I rescued that cat from being a Red Lantern and he never cuddled _me_ like that.”

“Are you jealous that Dexter prefers Tim, Hal?” Bruce said in Hal's favourite tone of voice, the one where he looked serious but anyone who knew him saw that he was trying not to laugh.

“No, I am not jealous. Dexter is free to like whoever he wants now. I'm just saying that _Tim_ didn't carry him through the cold vacuum of space for a couple thousand light years.” Hal responded, clearly jealous.

Bruce opened his mouth to respond, humour glinting in his eyes when Damian barrelled into the kitchen.

“Father! Why does Drake have a _cat?_ ”

**Author's Note:**

> hhng batlantern good
> 
> you can find me at:  
> Tumblr: ace-corvid.tumblr.com  
> Twitter: twitter.com/ace_corvid  
> come yell at me!
> 
> thank you so much for reading, see you next time! And if you enjoyed this, a comment would really make my day!


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